The Rich Man's Life Begins with a Comeback

Chapter 259 Showing Off Skills and Serendipitous Encounters (4k)

After lunch, Wang Wanning followed Gu Heng back to the intermediate slope and helped him familiarize himself with the basic movements and beginner techniques several times before she felt comfortable letting him go with her to the advanced slope.

At the summit of the snow-capped mountain, Gu Heng and Wang Wanning stood side by side.

Sunlight shines on the snow, reflecting a fine, bright light.

From this vantage point, the entire Changbai Mountain International Resort Area can be seen.

"The air here is so fresh."

Gu Heng took a deep breath, and the fresh, crisp air rushed into his nostrils, instantly energizing him, who had just finished lunch and was feeling a bit drowsy.

"Wan Ning, you were busy playing with me on the intermediate slope, but now that we're on the advanced slope, stop holding back and show me your skills so I have someone to strive for."

After Gu Heng finished his reflection, he turned to look at Wang Wan Ning, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Just now on the intermediate slope, Wang Wanning was clearly holding back, and no matter whether Gu Heng accelerated or decelerated, she was always able to keep up with Gu Heng with ease, looking extremely relaxed and at ease.

"Then shall I demonstrate?"

When Wang Wanning heard Gu Heng say that, she couldn't help but show a hint of eagerness.

It's not just boys who show off their peacock-like tail feathers when they're with a girl they like; girls do the same when they're with a boy they like. Essentially, they both want to show the other person their best and most outstanding side.

"Showcase~"

Gu Heng gave Wang Wan Ning an encouraging look, then took a pair of binoculars from the bodyguard beside him. After all, the length of advanced ski slopes is basically over 1500 meters, and there are many curves. If he didn't have binoculars, Wang Wan Ning would probably become a small black dot in Gu Heng's eyes in less than ten seconds.

"Good~"

Wang Wanning responded crisply and raised her hand to put her ski goggles and face mask back on.

The next second, she shifted her feet slightly and darted forward.

Wearing a light pink outdoor ski suit, Wang Wanning looked quite eye-catching on the slope with a maximum gradient of nearly 30 degrees. Compared to when she accompanied Gu Heng to ski on the intermediate slope, her speed was much faster. She looked like a pink shadow in the snow and ice world.

Once she gained speed, she shifted her weight to the tail of her snowboard, causing the nose of the snowboard to lift up. The side edges kicked up endless snowflakes, making Wang Wan Ning look like a victorious general returning triumphantly from the bow of an ancient ship.

This is a basic snowboarding technique called tail balance. Gu Heng learned it from Shi Mengting that morning, but the visual effect of his tail balance was completely different from the tail balance that Wang Wanning was showing now.

He was clumsy and awkward, while Wang Wanning was smooth and fluid, making him a sight to behold.

After riding the snow for more than ten meters, Wang Wanning suddenly leaned forward, causing her skis, which had been pointing upwards, to lie flat on the snow again.

At the same time, her speed increased again, and she began to quickly glide in S-curves. Her movements were exceptionally skillful, and her S-curve gliding was a constant alternation between large and small S-curves, which increased her already high speed by a significant margin.

Facing the numerous curves on the advanced slopes, Wang Wanning skillfully carved through them using advanced snowboarding techniques, handling each curve with ease and appearing extremely crisp and clean.

Gu Heng watched Wang Wanning speeding across the ski slopes through his binoculars. It was hard to reconcile the Wang Wanning he saw now with the sweet and lovely woman who was always by his side.

After alternating between large and small S-shaped bends, Wang Wanning's speed had reached its peak, and the ski slope in front of her, after passing through many bends, was now a long straight slope stretching for hundreds of meters.

Only at this moment did Gu Heng realize that the skills Wang Wan Ning had demonstrated earlier were merely appetizers; this was her real show time.

The dolphin jump is a move in which the skier uses the elasticity of the tail of the ski to tuck in their legs and leap upwards. Because it resembles a dolphin jumping, many Chinese ski enthusiasts have named it the dolphin jump. This move is also a core technique in many combination skiing maneuvers.

On this long, straight ski slope, which is several hundred meters long, Wang Wanning showcased a variety of freestyle gliding combinations, truly demonstrating her impressive skills.

"Amazing."

Shi Mengting, who was also holding a pair of binoculars, looked at the many skills Wang Wanning had demonstrated and couldn't help but exclaim, "The skills that Miss Wang has shown can no longer be considered those of an amateur; this is the level of skill that only a professional player can possess."

"To master such skills, the process must have been incredibly difficult, right?"

Upon hearing what Shi Mengting said, Gu Heng asked her softly.

“One minute on stage takes ten years of hard work off stage.”

"This statement applies to all sports, including skiing."

Shi Mengting responded, "Even if Miss Wang has the best training resources, it would be impossible to develop such skills without falling hundreds or thousands of times."

Upon hearing this, Gu Heng did not say anything more.

At this moment, Wang Wanning had already skied to the end of the slope.

Through the binoculars, Gu Heng could clearly see the pink figure hopping and waving her hands towards the mountaintop where he was.

Back in Zhonghai, once when Wang Yan and Gu Heng were having a heart-to-heart talk over drinks, Wang Yan told Gu Heng about Wang Wan Ning's upbringing, his words filled with the heartache and love of an older brother.

Although Wang Wanning is the daughter publicly acknowledged by the Wang family, and even Wang Yan's mother, An Yiqing, treats her as her own daughter, the fact that she is an illegitimate child can never be changed.

Girls are prone to jealousy and even more adept at slander.

Wang Wanning, who has enjoyed excellent educational resources since childhood, is surrounded by classmates from extraordinary family backgrounds. Some pampered girls, seeing Wang Wanning regarded as a goddess by many boys, inevitably have some dark thoughts.

From junior high to high school, rumors about being an "illegitimate daughter" and a "mother who was a mistress" constantly permeated Wang Wanning's growth. If she were a girl with a fragile heart, she would probably have had a mental breakdown long ago after facing years of rumors and strange looks.

However, Wang Wanning did not collapse; instead, she became even more outstanding.

To outsiders, it was a sign of Wang Wanning's strength and maturity.

But as Wang Wanning's older brother, how could Wang Yan not know that the strength and maturity Wang Wanning displayed was just a disguise she wore to protect herself?

She wants to do her best in everything she does.

Take skiing for example. It should have been her leisure activity, but year after year she honed her skills to a professional level. All she wanted was to use her outstanding abilities to make others forget her shameful identity as an illegitimate child.

Gu Heng's thoughts raced. Through his binoculars, he looked at the end of the ski slope, where Wang Wan Ning was skipping and waving her hands. For no reason, a feeling of tenderness rose in his heart.

"call……"

Gu Heng let out a soft breath and turned to look at Shi Mengting: "Let's go down too."

“Mr. Gu, you can try pushing the slopes to get familiar with the ski run in the early stages.”

"Advanced ski slopes have many curves and sharp turns. If you are not yet proficient in carving and go too fast in the early stages, you are likely to fall when you encounter sharp turns."

Shi Mengting put down her binoculars and gave Gu Heng some instructions.

"rest assured."

"I will be careful."

Gu Heng nodded, indicating that he would not act rashly.

While Tongzi's father certainly gave him top-notch athletic talent in skiing, it ultimately takes time to transform that talent into real skill.

It's unrealistic to expect to achieve success overnight.

After putting his ski goggles and face mask back on, Gu Heng began to slide down the slope as instructed by Shi Mengting.

Ahead lies a winding, rugged, pristine white snow track, and behind lies the golden, shimmering summit of a snow-capped mountain.

A cold wind blew, carrying with it delicate powdery snow. Gu Heng felt the natural rhythm of the snow-capped mountain beneath his feet. The exhilarating and free feeling made him finally understand why so many skiing enthusiasts call skiing "white opium"—it's a feeling that's truly addictive.

Compared to Wang Wanning's speedrun, it took Gu Heng nearly ten minutes to glide from the top of the mountain to the end of the ski slope.

"Brother Gu Heng!"

Congratulations on successfully completing the challenge!

You are really great!

Wang Wanning has always been good at providing emotional value. The moment Gu Heng came to a smooth stop, she immediately ran towards him and praised him.

"I just pushed downhill all the way, it wasn't difficult at all."

Gu Heng waved his hand and responded with a smile.

"That's pretty awesome!"

Wang Wanning said very seriously, "The first time I went on an advanced ski slope, I also pushed down the slope, but I fell down four times."

The two rested briefly before taking the cable car back to the mountaintop.

Over and over again, the cycle continues.

The two continued skiing until it got dark before leaving the advanced slopes and returning to their hotel.

……

In the evening, Gu Heng and Wang Wanning attended the banquet hosted by the Changbai Management Committee again.

Compared to yesterday, tonight's business banquet has been significantly reduced in terms of the number of attendees.

At this business banquet, Gu Heng met Huang Zhongliang, the true leader of the Changbai region.

After the two sides met, Huang Zhongliang was very enthusiastic and did not put on any airs.

Yesterday it was stewed in an iron pot, today it's roasted whole lamb.

The drinks were still the specialty wines of the Changbai region. Faced with the warm hospitality of Huang Zhongliang and others, Gu Heng accepted them all, which made Wang Wanning unable to help but show a little worry.

At the dinner table, Gu Heng brought up again in front of Huang Zhongliang the policy benefits that he and Zhao Hongbo had discussed the previous night but had not received a definite answer about.

Business banquets are naturally all purposeful.

You can't just drink alcohol for nothing; you have to get something out of it.

In fact, the entire banquet was indeed a resounding success.

Many policy benefits that couldn't be agreed upon yesterday have been finalized today.

Compared to Zhao Hongbo, this regional official undoubtedly has more influence.

The banquet was a resounding success, with both hosts and guests thoroughly enjoying themselves.

After the banquet ended, Gu Heng and Wang Wanning returned to the Park Hyatt Hotel.

The two walked through the hotel lobby toward the Park Hyatt suites.

However, what a coincidence.

Gu Heng and Wang Wanning unexpectedly bumped into Feng Yao and Cai Wen, who had just finished dining at the French restaurant and were also heading back to the Park Hyatt suites.

Because it was a business dinner and a banquet hosted by the regional head, Gu Heng and Wang Wanning were both dressed very formally. Gu Heng wore a light brown business suit, while Wang Wanning wore a light blue long dress and crystal high heels.

At this moment, the two stood side by side, looking like a perfect couple, a match made in heaven.

In contrast, Feng Yao and Cai Wen, after their afternoon spa treatments, remained without makeup and wore casual, comfortable clothes when they came out for dinner, looking relaxed and carefree.

Looking at the poised, elegant, and refined Wang Wanning, Feng Yao felt inexplicably ashamed of herself.

Her gaze lingered between Gu Heng and Wang Wanning. Thinking of the words Gu Heng had asked Xiang Ling Shuang to convey to her earlier that day, she couldn't help but gently bite her pink lips.

'The important matter he spoke of today…'

'Is it just about keeping this girl company?'

Feng Yao looked at Gu Heng with a complicated expression, but wisely remained silent.

"Yaoyao, what's wrong with you?"

Cai Wen looked at her best friend, who had just been chatting and laughing with her, and suddenly her expression changed. She glanced thoughtfully at the young man and woman in front of her who looked to be about the same age as them, and then asked Feng Yao in a low voice.

"It's okay, let's go."

Feng Yao shook her head, gave Wang Wanning a deep look, and then pulled Cai Wen's arm to continue walking inside.

Gu Heng watched Feng Yao leave without saying a word, then followed behind Feng Yao and Wang Wan Ning, also heading in the same direction.

The girl had an exceptionally strong sixth sense, and Wang Wanning was also very perceptive. Even though the two had only met briefly and hadn't exchanged any words, she still keenly sensed something from the way the girl looked at her and the strangely unusual atmosphere.

However, Wang Wanning said nothing and continued walking beside Gu Heng, appearing completely normal.

“Brother Gu Heng…”

As they approached the suite, Wang Wanning suddenly blushed and whispered, "You drank so much local specialty wine again tonight. If you feel unwell, the promise I made to you last night still stands~"

Ahead, Feng Yao's expression suddenly stiffened upon hearing Wang Wanning's words, while Cai Wen stopped abruptly upon hearing the name "Gu Heng," her eyes widening slightly.

"Walk."

"Don't stop."

Feng Yao's barely audible voice reached Cai Wen's ears, and then Cai Wen felt a strong force on her arm, forcing her to continue walking inside.

Behind them, Wang Wanning's cheeks were flushed, and she looked at Gu Heng with affection in her eyes; her eyes were truly filled with Gu Heng.

"Good~"

Gu Heng smiled, raised his hand to touch his head, and then said goodnight to Wang Wanning: "Get some rest, see you tomorrow morning~"

Goodnight, Brother Gu Heng.

Wang Wanning nodded without saying anything more. She took out her room card and turned to walk towards her suite. Just as she turned around, she seemed to glance at Feng Yao in the distance, who was also swiping her card to open the door, and memorized the location of her suite.

"Whoo-"

The door opened with a swipe, and she stepped into the suite.

After watching Wang Wanning return to her room, Gu Heng looked at the empty corridor, loosened his tie, and walked straight towards Feng Yao's room...

(End of this chapter)